Entering the Turks
by Inarae
Summary: Anyone else spend most of the game wondering how a seeming bumble-head got into a very elite position? Here's my answer.
1. Default Chapter

ENTERING THE TURKS

ENTERING THE TURKS

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By Inarae

Disclaimer:As always, everything from Final Fantasy belongs to SquareSoft and a lot of other people.I'm grateful to them for creating such a wonderful world for me to play in, and hope they don't mind me doing so.

Did anyone else spend at least half the game wondering about the probability of a very silly sounding character getting into a certain elite position?This is my answer to how that could have came about. 

Rating:This part is a PG-13, for language.It'll probably be R the next part, for just about everything.

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"Three minutes, forty-two seconds.A new army record.Congratulations, lieutenant.You've become quite the asset to the Shinra military lately."

"Thank you, sir."The young officer saluted sharply as she accepted the award and her assembled classmates burst into enthusiastic applause behind her.

The air in the female officers' locker room hung heavy with slimy steam that smelled of sweat and mildew.It almost defeated the purpose of the showers, the new record holder mused, attempting to remove at least a little of the unpleastant stickiness from her skin with a towel before she got dressed.But that was the nature of locker rooms everywhere.It'd seem sacrilegious to go into a nice private bathroom covered in the mud and God knows what else she usually ended up stinking of anyhow.

"So where are you heading to now that this spate of training's over?"Linda, one of the other lieutenants, called out to her as she stood under the hot air dryers, shaking her head like an irritated puppy to get the drops of water out of her short hair."With those scores, you've got your pick of assignments."

"Hell, with those scores, they ought to create a new division of the army for her if she wants."Ensign Panders laughed from the showers."Good job by the way, Elena.I loooved watching the expressions on the guys' faces as you finished the course faster than them.You won me twelve hundred gil."

"Thanks and you're welcome,"Lieutenant Elena smirked."You ended up better off than me then; all I got was an ugly pink and orange ribbon."

"Heidigger's elegant fashion sense coming through again.I'm just glad he didn't mess with our uniforms when he took over.We'd have ended up looking like purple mushrooms or something."Linda rolled her eyes, wrapping a towel around her waist as she headed over."But you didn't answer- where're you going?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"I'll bet seventy that you end up commanding Junon in ten years."A bill appeared suddenly between Pander's fingers, and she twirled it in invitation.

Elena grinned."You'd lose it."

"Like hell I would.You're just that good.Wait till a war starts; you're gonna be so decorated your dress uniform's gonna look like a suit of armor.You just don't realize how far above the rest of us you are."

"Oh, I know."Elena gave up on her skin and began scrubbing the loose woven towel through the thick strands of her short, almost florescent blond hair."I'm gonna be way above that."

Pander blinked."Above Junon command. . ."

"You are so full of yourself," Sharon, an officer from another division, shook her head coldly."Everyone's sweet on you now cuz of your big blue eyes and that sweet, pale skin that blushes so prettily so often.But just you watch, you're gonna piss someone off with that arrogance, and all that beauty's gonna be for nothing.

Elena smirked, her expression almost wolfish as she smiled broadly, showing teeth."Beauty has it's uses."The other woman snorted and turned away angrily.

She turned back to her friends."The invitation came in this morning."

"And you didn't tell us until now?You bitch!"Linda exclaimed delightedly, only hesitating a second.That expression on Elena's face just now, as she watched Sharon walk away, like she had been looking forward to tearing apart anyone who got in her way as she climbed to the top.Not an unusual expression for Elena, but always disturbing.

Pander finally figured out what the invitation was."SOLDIER?!!!" the short girl from Wutai breathed in amazement."You've been invited to join SOLDIER?!!!They're the only people above the army chain of command except the regular Shinra bureaucracy."

Linda burst out laughing."And I bet you think you're gonna end up in charge even there.Sharon was right, you are arrogant.Insanely arrogant." She sighed, "But damn that's impressive.Wish I could join you."She frowned."Wait a minute.You said you're not sure where're you're going.If you got an invitation to SOLDIER, what the hell else could you be thinking of doing?"

Elena turned back to her locker to get out clothes, her ice cold eyes staring back at her from the mirror on the door.

"The Turks."

Linda stopped laughing."Don't even think about it girl."She said firmly."Tsang doesn't hire females, period.He even said so in an interview once, 'Women are too weak and flighty for the Turks.'And no matter how good you are, you're just going to end up dead if you piss him off by pushing too hard.I know you like challenges, but that's waaay beyond even you."

"Why not SOLDIER?"Pander put in, frowning."To all basic extents and purposes, they're equally impressive.Equal rank, equal status. . ."

"Tseng's practical above all else.He won't turn down an advantage just for pride."Elena replied smoothly, folding her towel and putting it away. "And SOLDIERS are like those ancient medieval knights.A victory doesn't count in their eyes unless it's honorable single combat, no tricks allowed, just muscle to muscle.I ain't got that."Elena shrugged ruefully.

"Like hell you don't!You can beat almost any guy on the base, one-on-one."

"Yeah, 'Almost'."Elena flashed her that wolfish grin, eyes hidden behind sharp strands of bangs."But if I can use tricks. . ."

"You trying to be another Merda?" Pander demanded.

"A firestorm straight from hell, or more accurately from the Turks." Elena quoted."General Merda could snap a man's skull with the tips of her little fingers or blast him and all his comrades to bloody shards in a single handed ambush.One of the greatest warriors ever to come through this academy.Too bad she retired at the end of the Wutai wars." 

"Fuck, you memorized the entire lecture?"

Elena grinned and wiped the wrinkles out of her shirt before putting it on."She even beat General Sephiroth at war games once."

"Yeah, when he was twelve," Linda snorted.

"So, what does age matter?That new Turk was only fourteen when he joined them."

Pander groaned."The redhead with the nightstick?Don't even mention him.Did you see him this morning in the training field?I jogged past him,just barely glanced over at him as I passed, and he gave me this Look, like he decided that my noticing him meant that I might be a threat for him to 'eliminate' or something."

"They say he's a genius at killing."Elena said softly, a small smile crossing her lips.

"Only you would say that with a smile," Linda groaned."Listen, back to the Turks.If you had entered Shinra three years ago, before Tsang took command, you might have had a chance.As it is. . . he'll never let a woman in."Linda shook her head."Give it up.That's honest advice from a good friend.Even if he just turns you down and leaves it at that, you're gonna look stupid, everyone will know it, and that's gonna seriously hurt your career."

Elena finished tightening the buckles on her outfit.If nothing else, the Turks' simple navy blue suit would be a lot easier to put on, and more comfortable to wear."I'll think about it," she promised.

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As always, I'd love to get criticism.

So, how do you like my version of Elena?Don't worry, I'll turn her into the blond bimbo we all know and love in the next chapter. . .

I've listed all the reasons why it'd be hard for her to enter the Turks this chapter.Now all she's got to do is get in. . . meet Reno and Rude face to face . . . deadly, semi-psychotic because he's so young to be a killer, Reno's gonna be FUN to write (can you tell I've been watching too much Kenshin?) . . .and let's not forget her 'interview' with Tseng. . .


	2. Entering the Turks, part two

ENTERING THE TURKS

**Part Two**

By Inarae

Disclaimer:As always, everything from Final Fantasy belongs to SquareSoft and a lot of other people.I'm grateful to them for creating such a wonderful world for me to play in, and hope they don't mind me doing so.

Did anyone else spend at least half the game wondering about the probability of a very silly blond getting into a certain elite position?This is my answer to how that could have came about.Fair warning- my Turks are NOT nice sweet people.I have trouble imagining elite assassins being good guys when they (apparently willingly) work for a system where people like Heidigger and Scarlet are the ones promoted, and moreover, Turks seem to enjoy working there.

Rating:This part is R, for discussion of adult subject matter, a little violence, and kinda twisted morals.

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Big gold hoops slipped into the little indents in her ears, bleeding a bit as they punctured through the thin layer of skin that had healed over the old holes, for it had been years since she'd worn earrings.Dark cherry red slicked a sticky-smooth trail across her lips to make them look round and full, and another layer of shiny clear made them look moist, as if she'd been licking them.Pale tan foundation de-emphasized the freckles and little scars from too much time fighting outside under summer sun and winter blizzards, and a soft pink dusting highlighted her cheeks like a school girl's naïve blush.Then eye shadow, mascara, hairspray to slick her coarse blond strands back against her head, leaving just a few to dangle, 'accidentally' charming.Couldn't look too planned, after all.God it had been forever since she'd dressed like this!Before she'd joined the military, certainly.A little scrap of thin cloth that almost fit in her fist if she balled it up enoughslipped over her body, somehow covering her modestly from shoulders to mid thigh, her bare back traced by thin cords buttoning at the sides, and a deep v-neck ending midway between her breasts, just barely allowing a peek at them.Good, it didn't look sluttish.No need for a bra though.Next came black nylons that let the color of her skin show through, held up by garters just above the bottom of the dress.Specially made black velvet gloves reached almost to her elbows.Lastly, she slipped on heeled red sandals, but not the stilettos that would have looked best with the outfit.She needed to be able to fight if necessary.

Tseng rubbed his forehead as he tried to make sense of the newest assignment for his Turks.This wasn't going to be easy, not with Rude's left arm in a sling.It wasn't his gun arm, thank goodness, but it would still slow them down.Someone knocked softly on the door to his office, and his hand slipped down to grab the gun strapped to the underside of his desk, training it on the door.The location of his office wasn't secret, but nor could a random stranger stumble across it accidentally, and neither his superiors or his subordinates were in the habit of knocking.

"Come in."

"Commander Tseng, Sir?"

He frowned.The woman who slipped in was obviously military, well muscled and standing at loose attention despite her civilian clothes.Very civilian clothes.She had obviously taken quite a bit of time with her appearance, but couldn't be called stunningly beautiful.Charming, perhaps.He didn't know her.

"Sir?My name is Elena Maritino.I mailed you an application to join your command two weeks ago."

Tseng's eyes narrowed. 

Perhaps emboldened by his silence, the woman stepped forward, swaying her hips just a tad, but too much to be accidental."I hadn't gotten a reply back yet, and I had some free time, so I thought meeting me in person might give you some more information for when you consider my request."She licked her lips, nervously or seductively, he couldn't tell.He considered her offer briefly.It would be enjoyable, certainly, and if nothing else, she deserved to be taught a lesson for being so fucking stupid as to try this. . . but he had a lot of work to do, and she just didn't look interesting enough.

"I saw your application and dismissed it.I don't hire females."_Now get out_, his expression finished.

"Oh, but I really want to join, Sir!"The woman said earnestly, a few more strands of hair falling from where they'd been slicked back."I've always dreamed the pride of being a Turk.I'd do anything to get in!Even as a little kid, I wanted to be a Turk, so honorable, so gorgeous and cool. . ."she gave a little laugh, "Sorry, that sounded kind of childish, didn't it, Sir?But there have been female Turks in the past Sir, and I really think I'd do a good job.As you saw in my application, I'm a quite capable warrior."

Honorable?Cool?What a fucking idiot this girl was.The Turks were the dirtiest fighters and cheaters in the entire military.That was what defined them, and made them such deadly assassins.

She licked her lips again, leaning forward over his desk."I'd do anything to get in, Sir,"she repeated, softer."Just tell me what to do."

A harmless groupie.Well, if she was going to be this insistent, he was irritated at her enough now to enjoy teaching her a lesson. He generally tried not to draw attention to himself, but no one would blame him or even pay attention if she ended up hurt.She had no doubt ignored a million regulations to get up here; as her superior and the head of security, it was his job to punish rule-breakers..And if she was stupid enough to complain, well, she wasn't the type anyone would miss either.He let his gun slip back into it's holster and stood, grasping her arm roughly and pulling her over the desk in a brutal kiss she was too shocked to fight.

He released her and stepped back.Her chest was heaving and the whites showed in her wide eyes.

"Take off your clothes." 

"Yes, Sir," she whispered, twisting awkwardly around to reach the buttons in the back of the red dress, hesitantly beginning to unbutton it..

She hesitated even more, fingers pausing as she shivered. 

With irritated eyes and slow steps like a tiger stalking prey, he paced around the desk, a tiny smile on his face as he jerked her roughly over to the brown leather couch in the corner opposite his desk.She was still frozen in shock as he pushed her down, lying still as his tongue claiming her mouth and his rough hands wandered intently over her body.She didn't even react as he slipped them up inside her dress.A pity, she was almost too inexperienced to be even interesting. . .

With a sudden, unexpected and well executed move, she flipped him so she was on top, a very familiar click sounding by his ear.He froze.

"There's a very slender gun hidden just under the wrist of this glove.It's only a quarter of an inch thick, and two inches long, but it fires a needle full of an incurable combination of chemicals and enzymes that will kill a man in under two seconds.The trigger is attached to my pinky, and only requires a movement of one eighth of an inch to activate.I recommend against moving."Her voice was suddenly very cold and serious, hot breath whispering across his ear as she rose to her feet beside the couch, gun still trained on him. A good move, he thought, hiding his chagrin that he had been taken in so easily.On top of him he might have been able to grab her gun away before she could shoot, he had just been too surprised to do it immediately.Now, it would take him almost a full extra second to get up and reach her before he could attack.If it had poor accuracy, like most experimental weapons of that type did, or if she wasn't used to using it, it might be possible.He'd wait for a better opportunity for now though. 

"You're a liar, Sir," she continued in that soft, deadly voice."If you had actually read my application, warning bells would have gone off the instant I entered your office in velvet gloves.The blueprints for this earned me my first promotion."

"So I make you a Turk or you kill me, is that it?"Tseng watched the woman above him coldly.He would have crossed his arms for added emphasis but wasn't willing to risk moving quite yet.

"That's just about it, Sir,"she agreed.

He let his lips twitch slightly in amused condensation."And if I say yes, and then kill you tomorrow anyway .. ?"

"Then you had fucking better write that I was a Turk on my tombstone, Sir, or my ghost will decorate every inch of headquarters with shreds of your intestines."Her voice was amused, not bothered by the concept in the slightest.She shifted slightly, but kept the gun, or rather the wrist where he assumed the gun was, trained steadily on his forehead."Let's start over again, Sir.Lieutenant Elena Maritino, leader of fourth squadron, division two, Junon, reporting for an interview regarding my application to enter your command, Sir.My qualifications are:top of the class, physical fitness, strategy, marksmanship, wilderness training, in-city fighting, ambush tactics, small arms, unarmed combat, electronic theory, and mechanical theory.Two days ago, I broke the Shinra army's record to become the fastest person to complete Junon's advanced obstacle course.I'm a crack sharpshooter with a.879 average- that's better than your man Reno, by the way.As you've noticed, I enjoy weaponry, and am fully qualified on just about everything, including stuff they don't have tests for because I only invented it in the last year and it's still top secret.I primarily design equipment for ambushes and assassinations.It's true that I've never seen battle beyond riots and skirmishes with wanna-be small town rebels, but since I have just proven that I could have assassinated the head of the Turks if I'd been so inclined, I'd be tempted to say that proves my capabilities.Sir."

He watched her silently for a moment.Now that he was looking for it, he thought he could see the lump of the gun nestled under the velvet at her wrist.Cold light from the humming florescent bulb above reflected off her bared teeth.She was smiling, but not like she was proud of herself for getting the drop on him, or was confident of winning.It was a smile of pure vicarious pleasure in her own abilities, pleasure in the challenge, in the risk of death.A danger junkie.The white was obscured for a second as she licked her teeth, waiting patiently as the soft whispers of her breath echoed through the room.She was breathing hard enough her pulse must bethudding against the skin of her wrist and throat, echoing in her heart.Maybe she could even feel it thudding in her little finger, against the tiny ring that would fire the gun when jerked.Well, he wasn't much better, still feeling the affects of his arousal from earlier.She was damn good.Cunning, brave, ambitious, and skilled.Willing to do anything to win.Overall, dangerous.Hmph.

"That bimbo act of yours is deadly, lieutenant," he said finally."Keep it up.It'll be useful to have a squadron member I know the enemy will always underestimate."

He watched the second of hesitation as she decided if that meant what she wanted it to.He harshened his voice."I don't know how they ran things at whatever hell hole you came from, but I punish people who point guns at me, Lieutenant."

She made her decision. There was a small click, presumably the safety going back on the gun, and her arm and hand became visible as she peeled off one of the black gloves, tossing it to the floor.It clunked as it landed, proving the presence of the gun.The bare hand came up to the blur of her face in what he presumed was a salute.

"Yes, Sir, I'm sorry, Sir.It won't happen again, Sir."

"Roll call's at nine, in my office."

"Acknowledged, Sir."She was grinning again, happily this time.

"Now get out; I don't sleep with my subordinates."

And that's just a pity, Elena thought, unable to stop grinning as she saluted again and buttoning up the little scrap of material she had called a dress, scooping up her dropped glove as she backed out the door.Her new commander was as arrogant, dangerous, and gorgeous as the stories had painted him.What more could a girl want?It was too dang badthey hadn't gotten farther along before she pulled her little stunt.She realizedshe was whistling as she sauntered back to her bunk, swinging the gun in the glove cheerfully.He'd punish her for this tomorrow, but she'd survive, and having to act like a bimbo for the next few years wasn't a bad exchange for success.Who knew, maybe it'd even be kinda fun.She could think of all sorts of people she'd be delighted to irritate by acting incompetent. . . .

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AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Geeze, this one got away from me.This was not what was supposed to happen. . . .I even had a nice outline. . .how sad.Sorry to anyone who wanted Tseng and Elena to finish what they were doing, but I just can't write NC-17, it doesn't work.Trust me.The part of this that just implies the start of sex doesn't even work at all.I hate that part.

I guess she won't meet Rude and Reno until the next chapter.Actually, I think it'll be another story. . .

As you've probably noticed, I like to talk, and ask questions about my writing.So here goes; ignore it if you're not interested

The last part bothers me.Does Tseng give in too easily to be reasonable?

And Tseng wouldn't let down his guard enough for Elena to get the drop on him like that.Any suggestions on how to make that more likely?

I also think it needs more explanation of why he did decide to sleep with her, because I don't see him as a playboy; having sex with every female in sight.Any suggestions there?

Personally, I don't particularly like this story because the morals seem kind of twisted- use sex and violence and you'll get your way.I DON'T support that at all, but in my opinion, Shinra was probably full of people sleeping their way to rank, assassinating superiors to get promoted to their job, etc.The people working in it would have to have a certain willingness to do anything to succeed, or else they would be destroyed in the infighting.Therefore, to write Shinra, and to write people who obviously survived and thrived in that system, I wrote it this way.Not that Elena and Tseng are bad here- just not good, and I usually prefer to write good antagonists.(Well, I prefer to take the bad guys and write them into good guys. . .)

As you might have noticed, I'm writing a lot of one-shots lately to clarify confusing characters and relationships for the long FFVII story I'm writing, 'To Define Evil.'They don't actually tie in to the TDE, for the most part. . . but might be good to read before TDE anyhow. (TDE's not even posted yet, so you kind of have to at the moment. . . )


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